New chapter for Wirral Waters as first convenience store opens
The first convenience store at Wirral Waters marks the latest milestone in Peel Waters' ongoing transformation of one of the UK's largest regeneration projects.
The new Sainsbury's Local, developed in partnership with Peel Waters and located on Duke Street beside the award-winning Millers Quay residential development, will provide a much-needed neighbourhood amenity for the rapidly growing Wirral Waters community and wider business district.
Leader of Wirral Council, Cllr Paula Basnett, said:
The opening of Sainsbury's Local is a welcome addition for the growing community at Millers Quay and across Wirral Waters. Having access to everyday essentials within walking distance of home is an important part of creating a neighbourhood where people can enjoy living, working and spending time.
It's great to see another piece of the plan coming to life. Facilities like this help foster a real sense of community, while the investment and jobs the store brings are further signs of the confidence and momentum we are seeing across Wirral Waters. This is regeneration delivering practical benefits for local people.
The purpose-built 4,300 sq. ft store has created 17 new jobs and becomes the first dedicated convenience retailer to establish a presence within Wirral Waters, providing residents, students, workers and visitors with easy access to everyday essentials in the heart of the emerging waterfront destination.
The opening represents the latest chapter in a period of significant growth and delivery across Wirral Waters. Over the past year, Peel Waters and its partners have continued to accelerate development across the scheme, with new homes, infrastructure, commercial spaces and community facilities helping to bring the long-term vision for the area to life.
The new building has been carefully designed to complement the high-quality architecture of neighbouring Millers Quay, the multi award-winning, 500-home residential development that has become a flagship for sustainable waterfront living in the Liverpool City Region.
Construction of the store began in February 2026 and was completed in less than five months. The project also provided valuable learning opportunities for students from Wirral Met College's Wirral Waters Construction Campus, who gained practical experience and industry insight while working on a live development project within the regeneration area.
The store is open daily from 7am to 11pm and offers a full range of convenience groceries, fresh produce, food-to-go, bakery items and frozen food, alongside a Click & Collect service for Argos, Habitat and Tu Clothing.
David Pilbeam, Sainsbury's Director of Acquisitions, Capital Projects and Engineering, said:
We're delighted to open our new Sainsbury's Local at Wirral Waters. The area is developing into a thriving new neighbourhood and we're proud to be part of that journey by bringing greater convenience, choice and value to residents, workers and visitors. We are also excited to be the first convenience store to open in the development and I’d like to thank Peel Waters for the opportunity to bring our newest Sainsbury’s Local to Wirral Waters, creating jobs and investing in the local economy in the process."
Richard Mawdsley, Wirral Waters Director of Development at Peel Waters, said:
The opening of Sainsbury's Local is another significant milestone in the continued evolution of Wirral Waters and demonstrates the growing confidence in the place we are creating.
As the first convenience retailer to open at Wirral Waters, it provides an important amenity for the thousands of people now living and working here and reflects the transition from vision to reality that we are seeing across the development.
Peel Waters has worked closely with Sainsbury's to bring forward a purpose-built store that complements the award-winning design of neighbouring Millers Quay while also creating jobs, supporting skills development and enhancing everyday life for our growing community.
The fact that construction began in February and has been completed in less than five months highlights the pace at which development is now being delivered across Wirral Waters. It's another tangible example of the momentum we are building as we continue to attract investment, businesses and new residents to the area.
The opening of Sainsbury's Local adds an important everyday amenity to the growing neighbourhood and represents another step forward in Peel Waters' long-term vision to create a thriving waterfront community where people can live, work and spend their leisure time.
